Its becoming more and more difficult to find great pop music. Oh, it turns
up sporadically, in records by The Negro Problem, Wondermints, Eric Matthews, and a few
others, but by and large, the best practitioners of the form are relegated to obscurity.
Richard X. Heyman is one of these artists, though hopefully not for long. A young veteran
who has performed brilliantly as a sideman for such artists as Brian Wilson, Link Wray,
Jonathan Richman, and Ben E. King, Heyman has quietly been carving out a career as one of
the pop maestros of our time. Basic Glee, his new album, finds him at the apex of his
abilities, and may be one of the finest records of 2002.

Coming after 1998s dazzling and critically acclaimed Cornerstone, which
made Billboards TopTen albums of that year, Basic Glee takes up where that nearly
self-performed treasure left off. Heyman has a strong, individualistic sense of style that
permeates all of his songs. As a writer, he has a myriad of influences, ranging from
Gordon Lightfoot to Gene Clark, among many others, but he has a singular identity that
overflows with virtue and strength of spirit. He is a romantic at heart, and songs such as
"When Evening Comes," "Wishful Thinking," and "My Lorraine
Bow" exhibit a lovers soul and a literate slant. Despite the crispy pop
arrangements, these are adult love songs, and Heyman renders emotions in such a fashion
that they will no doubt age very well.

This self-performed, homemade (www.richardxheyman.com)
record will startle you. Filled with ringing Rickenbackers, sparkling acoustics, and
heavy, yet refined Keith Moon-meets-Ringo Starr drum tracks, its hard to believe
that it was cut, for the most part, by one musician, let alone in a living room in New
York. The drumming is exceptionally powerful, and this is no surprise, as drums are
Heymans main instrument. This gives him an unfair advantage against other
"one-man bands." The dense, warm sound of the record provides the listener with
a front-row seat to the recording console.

Heyman is a true singer/songwriter, and a good one, but he is equally impressive
as a musician, arranger, and record maker. "What In The World" sounds like a
record The Hollies should have made in 1970, with Graham Nash. "Waterline," with
its gorgeous arrangement, is reminiscent of late-60s Beach Boys, crossed with Colin
Blunstones "Caroline Goodbye." This record is an ever-widening whirlpool
of sound, filled with hypnotic vocal harmonies and expansive drum and guitar grooves. It
is, in a word, glorious. Basic Glee is all things in popa celebration of the form
and a wholly original document that beguiles the ear as well as the heart. Indispensable?
Oh yeah.